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Travel

Making The World Go Round

February 24, 2021 by Jodi Krangle

It’s been just about a year now since the coronavirus pandemic first started, and sometimes it’s felt like the whole world’s closed for business. More and more of us are working from home, and most of our business meetings, not to mention our daily lives, take place over Zoom these days. Life seems to be much more homebound lately, but with new vaccines being approved and the Tokyo Olympics just around the corner, the world’s starting to open again. And one sector that’ll play a pivotal role in it is the tourist industry.

In 2019 the Costa Rica Tourism Board, or ICT, won the International Sound Award for Audio Branding with “The Sounds of Costa Rica,” a new musical brand that subtly emphasizes the letter C, for Costa Rica. It does this by making a simple but powerful six-note mnemonic out of the circle of fifths, a diagram often used in music. It starts with a C note and uses such instruments as the marimba, tuba and ocarina to play halfway through the circle.

This might sound pretty technical, but the melody, combined with the instruments and festive, colorful imagery that accompanies it, works to create an almost instinctive sense of warmth and inclusion. Like most music, all that work is just to create exactly the right mood for the listener, without anyone even noticing it.

If you’d like to hear it, and to see how it complements the new ICT logo, check out this link to the award video:

https://www.international-sound-awards.com/media/ISA2019/2019-1017_ICT-TheSoundsOfCostaRica_CaseFilm.mp4

When we think about travel, we usually think of it as imagery: bright tropical beaches, flashing city lights or lush green forests. But audio branding’s starting to play a much larger role in the tourism industry lately, creating a sense of excitement, familiarity, even nostalgia using sound. The international resort chain Bahia Principe (bye-ee-ah preen-seh-pay) has made its theme song, complete with band and lyrics, the foundation of its brand. The melody’s used everywhere from its commercials to its phone system, from corporate videos to lobby music, all to create a consistently recognizable audio logo that will instantly engage their customers.

Curious about the song? There’s a link to it here:

But a lot has changed, even since 2019. Tourist boards and travel companies need to talk about the pandemic, expressing empathy for customers who are understandably reluctant to go on a vacation these days and adjusting their brand to a very different world than just a few years ago. Hotels.com quickly updated its Captain Obvious commercials last spring, previously featuring its mascot aboard a crowded airplane, to show support for social distancing and staying at home, and then again a few months later with a more lighthearted reference to Covid-19’s impact. Visit Las Vegas also started its #OnlyYou ad campaign in March of 2020 and has updated its message several times as well, encouraging visitors to wear masks and practice social distancing once the city’s reopened.

You can find links to both of their ads here:

These commercials have to strike a delicate balance between brand promotion, encouraging visitors to take precautions and showing solidarity with tourists who aren’t yet ready to travel.

Other travel companies are working to change their marketing approach altogether and find creative new ways to brand themselves in a post-pandemic world. Expedia, for instance, has relied on audio branding in the past, such as its Sound Travels ad campaign in 2018, and has more recently started its “Work From Here” campaign, replacing its more traditional vacation outings with packages meant for remote workers looking for a change in scenery.

It could still take a while before things get back to normal. The International Air Transport Association estimates that, even with a vaccine, air travel might not reach 2019 levels again until 2024, while the demand for hotels could take as long as 2023 to recover. And when it does, there’s a lot of uncertainty about what normal’s going to look like. But even while we’re all still stuck waiting inside, marketing and audio branding can help keep the tourist industry emotionally engaged with its customers, and all the more ready to recover and help make the world go round again.

Would you consider reviewing the Audio Branding Podcast? If so, here’s the Apple Podcast link: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/audio-branding/id1489042453 And if you like what you hear (and read!) – please do share it with anyone you think might be interested. Thanks so much!

And if you’re interested in crafting an audio brand for your business, why not check out my FREE download – 5 Tips For Implementing An Intentional Audio Strategy at https://voiceoversandvocals.com/audio-branding-strategy/

Filed Under: Audio Branding, Travel Tagged With: advertising, audio branding, commercials, COVID-19, expedia, hotels.com, las vegas, marketing, sonic branding, sonic logo, tourism, tourist boards, travel, travel companies

Interview With Storyteller, Dave Bricker – Part 2

March 18, 2020 by Jodi Krangle

Here’s the second part of my interview with storyteller Dave Bricker. We talked about the four elements of a story, the difference between anecdotes and stories, and how to add value to people’s lives through storytelling.

In our conversation, we also covered:

  • Whether people are hardwired to want to hear depressing stories or happy stories
  • The difference between happy endings and transformation and how that affects how stories connect with people
  • A much more effective alternative to scare tactics in advertising
  • Why children love reading storybooks over and over…and over…and over…
  • Where most advertising falls short and how to improve
  • How the most powerful stories speak to our innate drive to seek safety and survival
  • How authentic conflict brings depth to a story
  • How, in advertising, money must serve not as an outcome, but rather as a tool
  • Using audio to prime an audience
  • Different types of coaches and which audiences they’re best suited for

You can find more information on Dave on his website at www.storysailing.com or on any of his social media channels: 

  • LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidbricker/
  • Twitter https://twitter.com/daveBricker
  • Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DaveBrickerSpeaker/

This episode was very skillfully made to sound beautiful by the talented Humberto Franco (http://www.humbertofranco.com/).

Would you consider reviewing the Audio Branding Podcast?  If so, here’s the Apple Podcast link: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/audio-branding/id1489042453  And if you like what you hear (and read!) – please do share it with anyone you think might be interested. Thanks so much!

And if you’re interested in crafting an audio brand for your business, why not check out my FREE Audio Branding Worksheet?

 

Filed Under: Audio Branding, Inspiration, Marketing, Music, Travel Tagged With: advertising, improvisation, inspiration, marketing, music, speaking, storytelling, transformation

Interview With Storyteller, Dave Bricker – Part 1

March 11, 2020 by Jodi Krangle

Dave Bricker discovered his love for “StorySailing” while spending 15 years living aboard sailboats. In 1983, after his first year of college, David got a job working with the Christo Surrounded Islands project. During that time, he realized something was missing in his life. After finishing college, he headed off to the Bahamas to begin his 15-year sailing adventure, which included a transatlantic sailing trip in 1991. Dave has authored 11 books, and his company, Remarkable Stories, Inc., https://storysailing.com/, teaches the art of business transformation through storytelling. 

In the first part of my conversation with Dave, we explored how story and sound intersect, as well as: 

  • How his idea of storytelling for business started
  • Heading off to the Bahamas with a small sailboat, $30, and a locker full of food and dreams
  • How storytelling ties together music, writing, speaking, graphic design, and code
  • The importance of storytelling about people, outcomes, and value instead of prices, processes, ingredients, and data
  • Speaking techniques to draw people in
  • Girls tied to railroad tracks, dream sequences, the country, and 1940s clubs (yes, you read that right! 😉)
  • Whether our response to music is learned or innate—culture or predisposition
  • Playing music with a Dutch jazz singer in the Azores
  • How improvisation ties into storytelling
  • A big mistake people make when giving professional speeches and how to avoid it
  • How professionals can improve their speaking by getting involved with Toastmasters – http://www.toastmasters.org
  • How we as humans are hunter-gatherers at heart and are always scanning for threats

You can find more information on Dave on his website at www.storysailing.com. 

You can also find him on his social media channels: 

  • LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidbricker/
  • Twitter https://twitter.com/daveBricker
  • Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DaveBrickerSpeaker/

This episode was very skillfully made to sound beautiful by the talented Humberto Franco (http://www.humbertofranco.com/).

Would you consider reviewing the Audio Branding Podcast?  If so, here’s the Apple Podcast link: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/audio-branding/id1489042453  And if you like what you hear (and read!) – please do share it with anyone you think might be interested. Thanks so much!

And if you’re interested in crafting an audio brand for your business, why not check out my FREE Audio Branding Worksheet?

 

Filed Under: Audio Branding, Inspiration, Marketing, Music, Travel Tagged With: advertising, improvisation, inspiration, marketing, music, speaking, storytelling

Interview with Podcast Producer, Kattie Laur – Part 1

December 18, 2019 by Jodi Krangle

Kattie Laur has a background in broadcast radio so it naturally seemed to follow that she would become interested in podcasts.  She’s putting that passion to good use as a podcast producer and gives us some tips on what makes a great show, why she feels podcasts are an important medium and how they’re the wave of the advertising future.

In this first part of our interview, she talks about:

* her beginnings in studying broadcasting
* her interesting relationship with the CBC
* how she got into podcasting
* how she decided she could produce podcasts for a living
* what kinds of clients she works with
* what fires her up about producing podcasts
* why she feels the concept is way more important than the equipment you use.
* how audio branding plays a role in the production of podcasts

Her website is at: https://www.kattielaur.com

She has some really helpful information in her blogs, too!
She’s written about the 5 key things you need to think about before starting a podcast: https://www.kattielaur.com/blog/how-to-start-a-podcast-5-key-things

And she’s started a blog series that highlights women podcasters and their shows: https://www.kattielaur.com/blog/podcasts-by-women-to-stop-sleeping-on-vol-1

Her ethical travel podcast is called Alpaca My Bags: https://audioboom.com/channels/4984382

(and is in all the major podcast outlets)

And you can find and follow her on Twitter: @podkatt

 

This episode was very skillfully made to sound beautiful by the talented Humberto Franco (http://www.humbertofranco.com/).

Would you consider reviewing the Audio Branding Podcast?  If so, here’s the Apple Podcast link: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/audio-branding/id1489042453  And if you like what you hear (and read!) – please do share it with anyone you think might be interested. Thanks so much!

Filed Under: Audio Branding, Marketing, Podcasting, Travel Tagged With: alpaca my bags, audio branding, cbc, kattie laur, marketing, podcast production, podcasting, women fronted podcasts

Taking Your Show On The Road

September 18, 2019 by Jodi Krangle

      Taking Your Show On The Road - Jodi Krangle - voiceoversandvocals.com

I just recently went to my first podcasting convention (MAPCON, now the Independent Podcast Conference in Atlantic City) and had the privilege of meeting a lot of super talented and passionate people who create and have services for, podcasters (of which, I am now one!).  One of the topics that came up time and time again, was sound treatment.  How do you get the best sound for your podcast?  How do you get rid of echo, cut down on ambient noise, and travel with your sound equipment while still putting out a decent show?

A lot of people will tell you that it’s all about the microphone.  And it’s true that if you use a microphone that’s highly directional and of decent quality, you can get pretty good sound.

BUT – without the right recording environment, your audio still isn’t going to sound very good – no matter how expensive your microphone is.

I’m here to tell you – it’s all about the sound treatment.

As a voice actor, I have a 5×4 sound treated booth that has thick, insulated walls and a similar ceiling and floor, all carpeted so there are no sharp edges or surfaces for sound to echo off of. (I’ve included a picture below of both the inside and outside of my booth.) It makes for an almost entirely dead sound that engineers prefer, because then they can go in and color that sound in post, the way they need it.  You probably don’t need this elaborate a set-up as a podcaster, but you get the idea.

The inside and outside of my vocal booth. (That’s “cubie” my gelatinous cube, holding my headphones. 😉 )

It’s not sound proof exactly, though it does filter out a great deal of ambient noise.  There are just some sounds – like rumbling trucks, planes flying overhead, and that sort of thing, that simply couldn’t be blocked out unless I had a 6 foot concrete box around me.  I do the best I can.

But if you’re not going to spend thousands of dollars on a sound booth, what do you do?

Here’s where a portable booth comes to the rescue.  Usually made of things like foam or moving blankets around a metal frame, they’re able to be carried around in a flat case and opened up where you need them – a bar, a hotel room, a podcasting convention or anywhere else you might travel to.  You could even set it up in a permanent place in your home rather than building a full sized booth.

One of the companies I’ve been using for years – and I currently have several of their models – from the first one, on up to the newest one – is Vocal Booth To Go (full disclosure – these are affiliate links – but I wouldn’t affiliate with a product I didn’t believe in!).  If you visit their website, you’l see a variety of options available to you.  But the one I’m most familiar with, is the VOMO.

It’s a bit large for me to take on a plane if I’m flying internationally (just somewhat awkward as it’s flat, but fairly square and large and I’m not an overly tall woman. If you’re a tall man, for instance, you may find it easier to carry) – but if I travel by car or domestically on a plane – WOW is this thing handy.  You can set it up on any table, or bring along the convenient tripod, unfold it, and away you go.

Also, unlike some other options you might see that offer this same sort of thing, it’s less bulky, and larger around – so you don’t get a “boxy” type of sound when you record.

They do have some older versions of this portable booth, in case that price tag is a bit much for you at the moment.  They all work with the same idea – and virtually the same materials.  They just come with different options, and some are more “portable” than others.  But I’ve been using these for years – and have loved them since the first one.  So even if you go for an older version, you’ll find it extremely helpful when taking your podcast – or your voice overs – on the road.

There’s also a dedicated website specifically for this portable booth option.  (And if you check out the photo gallery and click on See All Pictures, you’ll see me, using one of them, right in the center of that collage.)

Here’s a video from voice actor, Simon Hill (a fellow Canadian), all about how he uses his VOMO while he travels – and some of his really helpful tips to make the most of your recordings while on the road.

Filed Under: Podcasting, Travel, Voiceovers Tagged With: podcasting, sound treatment, travel, voice overs, voiceovers

Getting Out Of My Padded Box

March 6, 2018 by Jodi Krangle

I was lucky enough to head to a voice over conference this past weekend called VO Atlanta – and WOW, was it overwhelming.   Wonderful – but overwhelming.  For one thing, there were around 650 or so other voice talent there.  For another, I knew quite a lot of them.  And for still something else, I learned a ton at the various breakout sessions and simply by having conversations with my colleagues.  Every one of them is a kind and generous soul – from the most well-known and successful to those just starting out.  Actually, those special, one on one conversations were really what made the experience worthwhile for me.

You see, a lot of us spend a great deal of time talking to ourselves in a padded box … and it’s just nice to get OUT sometimes. 😉 The wonderful folks I’ve met on Facebook and in other social media are all over the world. (I was lucky enough to meet many colleagues from Mexico, the UK, one from Rome, and even one from Portugal!)  These kinds of conferences allow us to have a personal connection that isn’t quite as easy to have over say, Facebook.  I’ve returned energized, educated, and inspired!  And I look forward to making your unique project sparkle. 🙂

Filed Under: Travel Tagged With: VO Atlanta, voice over conference, voice over convention

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